Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes comprise a large family, Culicidae, of slender, scale-covered flies found worldwide. We think of mosquitoes as voracious blood-feeders, but the primary food of adult mosquitoes is actually nectar. Females of some species take blood as a protein source for their eggs, and those that feed from humans may vector diseases like malaria, west nile virus, and yellow fever.

Mosquito trap

A CDC Fay-Prince mosquito trap operated by the University of Texas at Austin fills with Aedes aegypt, a potential vector of Zika virus in urban Austin. The trap uses a combination of carbon dioxide, UV light, and visual cues to attract mosquitoes.